Basketball basket support



March 26, 1957 FlNK 2,786,678

BASKETBALL BASKET SUPPORT Filed April 4, 1955 0H0 T. Fink INVENTOR.

BY I /0@ 1 MWW% United States Patent BASKETBALL BASKET SUPPORT Otto T. Fink, Bismarck, N. Dak.

Application April 4, 1955, Serial No. 498,845

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-1.5)

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in the game of basketball and more particularly to supporting means for the basket.

An important object of the invention is to provide a basket support of this character in which the usual backboard is eliminated and an arm is provided for supporting the basket clear of any structure against which the ball may be thrown and deflected or ricocheted into the basket to thus compel the players to toss the ball directly into the basket without the aid of a backboard and accordingly require greater accuracy on the part of the players.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the basket and semicircular support therefor.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a basket supporting arm generally and which is constructed of a pair of girder members 6 and 7 having their inner or rear end portions welded or otherwise suitably secured to the front surface of a pair of vertically spaced apart parallel bars 8 and 9 which are secured to the lower portion of a pair of vertical hanger rods 10 by U-bolts 11. The hanger rods are supported at their upper ends to an overhead structure (not shown) to support the basket arm 5 in a horizontal elevated position. Cross braces 12 connect the pair of girders 6 and 7 to each other with their rear ends spaced from each other and converging toward their front ends which are secured to the inside of a hollow upwardly curved tapering cornucopia shaped arm 13. The upwardly curved tip of arm 13 is secured to the central portion of a semi-circular brace 14 which is welded to the underside of the rim 15 of a basketball basket 16 to support the latter at the front end of arm 5.

The arm 5 and basket rim supporting brace 14 support the basket 16 in a desired elevated position clear of a backboard or other structure against which a ball may be bounced or deflected when aimed at the basket to eliminate the use of such backboard as an aid in tossing the ball into the basket.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A support for a basketball basket comprising a horizontal arm having front and rear ends, means on the rear end of said arm attachable to an overhead structure to suspend said arm, said means comprising vertical hanger rods spaced apart laterally to pass a basketball therethrough and thereby prevent functioning of said means as a back stop, said front end having means thereon attachable to the rim of a basketball basket to suspend the basketball basket, said last named means being upwardly curved to offset the rim of a basketball basket above said arm and thereby obviate a basketball from bouncing off said arm into such a basket, said arm being sulficiently long to suspend a basketball basket out of range of a basketball bouncing ofi of structure tending to backstop a basketball in the rear of said first named means.

2. The combination of claim 1, said arm comprising a pair of side girders diverging rearwardly to stabilize the arm against lateral vibration.

3. The combination of claim 1, said first named means comprising crossbars on the rear end of said arm vertically adjustably secured on said hanger rods for vertical adjustment of said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 922,630 Reach May 25, 1909 1,520,196 Medart et al Dec. 23, 1924 2,363,634 Albach et a]. Nov. 28, 1944 2,708,576 Verkuilen May 17, 1955 

